Fastener



K. A. SWANSTROM I 9 3 3 FASTENER Filed July 26, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR. MSAQENKMW ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 194i attain mere was Arent Swanstrom, Buckingh Toship, Bucks Cots, Pa.

Application July 26, 19%, Serial No. Mdfififi Claims. 1

My invention relates to fasteners of the type in which a stop nut having laterally projecting lugs is attached to a support by a retainer having bent edge sections forming eyes for the reception of lugs on the nut to permit free adjustment or frictional adjustment of the nut axis relatively to the axis of a bolt hole in the support to facilitate insertion of a bolt into the nut.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the base of the nutprojects through an aperture in the bottom of the retainer into direct abutting engagement with the surface of the support to which the retainer is attached by riveting or welding. Such direct abutting engagement minimizes ingress of moisture and cor-= rosion and provides a firmer connection than is attainable where a retainer is interposed between the nut and support.

The eyes of the retainer may be completely enclosed and limit axial movements oflugs, and hence of the nut, in both directions, or the eyes may have open bottoms, in which event disengagement of the lugs from the retainer through such openings may be prevented by the engagement of rim members on the nut with the top surface of the retainer base.

The lugs are preferably spaced axially from the bottom surface of the nut body suificiently to permit such surface to lie substantially flush with the bottom surface of the retainer when nut and retainer are assembled. When the bottom surfaces of nut and retainer are substantially flush, the lugs preferably engage the members bounding the top of the retainer eyes so as to frictionaliy retard rotary or lateral movements of the nut.

The stop nuts may be cut from solid stock on an automatic screw machine but preferably nut bodies with integral lugs are stamped from a rolled strip having a central section equal in width to the desired diameter of the nut body. and of greater thickness than the edge sections from which lugs are stamped simultaneously with the stamping out of a nutbody and integral therewith.

A locking collar may be seated in a recess cut in the nut body and held by an overturned staked edge, or may be seated in an annular holder having radial flanges, one of which is bonded to the nut body and on which the collar rests.

The characteristics and advantages of my improvements will further appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a metal strip having a thick center section and thin edge sections from which nut bodies with diametral lugs may be punched in accord ance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottom view of the strip shown in Fig. 1 illustrating diagrammatically the punching therefrom of nut bodies having diametral lugs; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a nut body punched from the strip of Fig. 2; Fig. i is a top plan view of a stop nut made from the body of Fig. 3 by welding to the top thereof an annular shell of channel shape across section containing a looking collar; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the nut shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a plan view, on a reduced scale, of a punched sheet metal blank for forming a retainer for a nut, such as shown in Figs. 1 to 5; Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view through a nut, such as shown in Fig. 5,

positioned in a retainer formed by bending the side edges of the strip shown in Fig. 6 transversely to the intermediate section or base thereof; .Fig. 8

is a perspective .view of a modified form of retainer and stop nut embodying my invention; Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the retainer and an end view of the stop nut shown in Fig. 8; Fig 10 is a perspective view illustrating a further modification of the retainer shown in Figs. 8 and 9; Fig. 11 is a perspective bottom view of a modified form of nut and retainer embodying my invention; Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the nut and retainer shown in Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line i3|1i of Fig. 12; Fig. id is a transversesectional view taken on the line it-ld of Fig. 12; Figs. 15 and 16 are perspective views of modified forms of nut and retainers embodying certain features of my invention; Fig. 1'7 is a diagrammatic transverse sectional view' illustrating a method in-.

serting a nut into the retainer of Fig. 15 or Fig. 16; and Fig. 18 is a transverse sectional view through the nuts and retainers shown in Figs. 15 and 16.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawin-s, a strip of metal i, having side flanges 2 and 3, has punched therefrom nut bodies 5 having diametral projecting lugs 6 and a. central aperture 1 which is countersunk at one end. The median thicker portion of the member I provides a base or hub 8 projecting beyond the-proximate surfaces of the lugs 5.

After the bore of a body 5 is threaded, an annular shell or holder 9 of channel shaped cross sectionmay be welded to the body opposite to the base 3.

A fibre locking collar I6 is secured in the holder 9 before or after the welding thereof to the body.

' The collar contains an unthreaded bore having an axis in axial alignment with the axis or the bore of the nut. The bore of the collar is substantially the same in diameter as the root of v the thread of the unit. The collar Ill rests on the lower radial flange oi the shell 8 which is bonded to the body 5 and the complementary upper flange oi the shell may be indented as at II to stake the collar l and prevent rotation thereof.

A strip of sheet material I2, such as metal, ilbre or plastic, has punched therefrom aligned round. median, apertures it each having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a base I. Rivet holes or welding pimples it may be formed between the apertures I3.

Apertures I! or somewhat greater width than the lugs 8, are punched on the opposite sides or each aperture I! so as to form eyes receiving the lugs 8 when the edge sections it or the strip I2 are bent transversely to the center section or base Ii thereof to form a retainer of channelshape cross section around a series of nuts as shown in Fig. 7.

Each hub 8 projects through an aperture I3 so that a bolt threaded therein may draw the bottom or the hub directly against a support or structural memberto which the retainer base I! may be aiilxed by rivets passing through the apertures I4 or by welding.

The metal excised from the base 0! the retainer substantially reduces the weight thereof and since the substance of which the retainer is composed is not subjected to any of the stresses between the tightened bolt and nut, the retainer may be made of softer and lighter substances, such as aluminum or fibre, than is practicable where a retainer base is interposed between a nut and support. This further lightening of the fastener is of particular advantage in airplane constructions embodying many thousand such fasteners.

Sumcient play is provided between the edges of a base or hub 8 and aperture I3 and between the sides of the lugs 5 and sides of apertures It to permit a desired range of lateral and rotary adjustment of the position of the nut relative to the retainer.

If desired, the nut and retainer may be so proportioned that when the bottom surface of the nut is flush with the bottom surface of the retainer or abuts against a member to which the retainer is attached, the top surfacesof the lugs 8 frictionally engage the surfaces of the edges forming the upper rims of the apertures I5 so as to exert a yielding frictional restraint on the lateral and rotary movements of the nut.

Instead of forming a stop nut embodying my invention by welding a collar holder to a body having laterally projecting lugs with an axially protrudingbase or boss between them, as above described, the nut'may be formed on an automatic screw machine from suitable bar stock.

Nuts so formed have an integrally connected body 6a. radial lugs 8a, axially projecting base or boss la, and overturned lip to securing the locking collar Ifla. as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

As shown in Fig. 8, the retainers side walls I6a may be laterally indented or bowed inward at Ila. adjacent to apertures Ida to limit the lateral shift of the nuts and permit the use of wider slots I51: and greater rotary adjustment of the nuts without danger of the lugs 60. being pushed out of the eyes Iia.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 10a retainer-or channel like cross section, generally similar to that shown in Fig. '7, has its base IIb provided with polygonal apertures Iflb to receive the polygonal bases or hubs 8b of stop nuts having internally threaded bodies lb containing locking collars Iflbl Lugs 6b project laterally from the nuts between the bases and collars and are inserted in slots IBb in the side walls I8b oi the retainer. The engagement of the polygonal bases In the polygonal recesses supplements the engagement of the lugs 8b with the edges of the slots llljb to limit or resist the axial turning of the nuts. The walls I8b may be indented by V-notches iilb between the nuts to facilitate flexing oi the retainer or bending it around corners.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 11 to 14, inclusive, the retainer consists of a channel member having a base lie and side walls I60 bent transversely thereto. The base and side walls contain communicating apertures I30 and IE0, the latter providing eyes having open bottoms for the reception of nut lugs.

The stop nut used with such retainer preferably comprises (Figs. l3, 14) a body 80 having laterally extending lugs to. a base or bottom boss 80, a lip to securing a locking collar I00, and a peripheral head or flange 8' larger than the aperture I3c and spaced axially from the bottom surface of the nut a distance at least equal to the thickness of the retainer base No.

In assembling this embodiment 0! my invention, the nuts may be positioned on a flat apertured blank with the bases 80 projecting through the apertures lie and the rims B resting on the top surface of the member He and the lugs 60 aligned with the apertures Illc. The sides IBc are then bent transversely to the base IIc so as to loop the top edges of the apertures I over the lugs 60. Where a broader engagement between the nuts and support is desired. the bottom surfaces oi the lugs to may be made flush with the' bottom surface of the hub to instead of being axially spaced therefrom.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 15 to 18, inclusive, the retainer consists of a fiat strip I'ld slitted parallel to its edges and having the slit edge sections bent upward to form complementary pairs of wall sections Itd forming eyes vltd having open bottoms tor the reception of nut lugs.

Stop nuts having threaded bodies 8d and laterally projecting lugs 8d have locking collars IIld secured thereto by the annular shells 9d bonded to the bodies.

The retainer and nuts may be assembled (Fig. 17) by inserting a lug 6d into an eye I50. far enough for the opposite lug 811 to clear the complementary eye Illd and permit the alignment of such lug with the latter eye. The nut is then centered, as shown in Fig. 18, and the inner edges of the wall sections led bent toward the base lid to prevent the removal of the lugs. Ii desired, the bodies 5d may be provided with axial bodies projecting through the aperture l3d.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A fastener comprising a retainer having a base containing an aperture and having bent edges forming eyes communicating with said base aperture, and a nut having a base projecting into said retainer base aperture and lugs disposed in said eyes and having flanges engaging said retainer base between said eyes.

2. A fastener comprising a retainer having an apertured base and walls bent transversely to said base and containing slots, and a nut having a base projecting into said retainer base aperapertured base and containing a plurality-of eyes 10 Number having open bottoms and a nut having lugs disposed in said eyes and a flange engaging .said base around the aperture therein.

5. A fastener comprising a retainer having an apertured base with bent edges forming eyes having open bottoms, and a nut having a base projecting into said aperture, lugs disposed in said eyes, and a flange seated on said base around said aperture.

KLAS ARENT SWANSTROM.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,103,847 Schneider July 14, 1904 2,026,757 Swanstrom A. C. Jan. 7, 1936- 2,243,923 Swanstrom C. A June 3, 1941 2,286,668 Brooke June 16, 1942 2,335,593 Howe Nov. 30, 1943 2,336,791 La Barre Dec. 14, 1943 

